Horn or signaling device.



M. R. HUTGHISQN.

HORN 0R SIGNAL1NG-DEVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1010.

1,102,586. Patentd July 7, 1914.

Ill/MENTOR 3y i l A TTORA/EV.

M. R. HUTCHISON.

HORN OR SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION PIEBD JUNE 7, 1910. 1 12 586.

WI T/VESSES:

, a ATTORNEY UNITED STA E mm cl rion.

MILLER REESE HUTCHISON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO LOVELL-MGCONNELL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

HORN OR SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 7, 1910. Serial No. 565,565.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILLER REESE Hul'romsoN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horns or Signal Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to horns of the type commonly used on automobiles, launches, etc., for the purpose of giving an alarm or signal, and particularly to diaphragm actuated horns. The conditions of use usually require that such horns be mounted in exposed positions and usually arranged so that the diaphragm is vertical and the mouth of the horn forwardly directed so as to throw the sound in the direction of movement. A horn so arranged on an automobile traveling at high speed is particularly exposed, and is in position to collect flying particles of dirt, pebbles, mud, rain, etc. The same thing may happen in the washing of an automobile with a hose as commonly practised. In such cases, the foreign matter collects in the space between the diaphragm and the diaphragm case, thereby causing the note of the horn to be mufiled and comparatively useless. Moreover, a

body of water remaining in such space for any length of time tends to corrode the metal and to soak through the joints and packing into the interior where it may damage the operating mechanism. For the above reasons it is common to inclose the operating parts-of the horn in a tight casing and to protect the mouth of the horn or projector by a screen. A

In my prior Patents Nos. 956,898 and 957,161 granted May 8rd, 1910, I-have described and claimed a separate drain hole arranged in the front section of the case leading from the lower portion of the space between it and the diaphragm, whereby wa ter and other foreign matter may be drained or expelled from said cavity. In my prior application Serial No. 531,902, filed December 7th, 1909, I have disclosed an organization of parts wherein this space may be drained through the projector'itself without the necessity of a separatespecial. opening for such purpose. In that application the desired result is accomplished by arranging the diaphragm and diaphragm inclosing section of the case in a position sufficiently near horizontal so that foreign matter forced against the diaphragm will drain out of the case by gravity into the projector and out through the open end of the latter.

My present invention contemplates still another organization of parts wherein the drainage is by gravity through the projector without the necessity of a separate or special hole, the arrangement being such that the diaphragm may be secured in the customary vertical position. This is accomplished by arranging the opening through which the sound escapes from the diaphragm case adjacent the lowermost portion of the periphcry of the diaphragm. In such case the proector secured over such opening may be straight and horizontally arranged in accordance with the preferred forms of my commercial Klaxon or if desired the proector may curve downward and then horizontally.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the diaphragm and sound projector in vertical central section; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same showing one means of securing the horn in the desired posltion. Figs. 3 and 4 respectively, are similar views of a modification.

.In all the figures the instrument comprises a rear case 1, inclosing any desired mechanical, electric or electro-magnetin means for vibrating an acoustic diaphragm 2. The latter is clamped between suitable surfaces 4 and 5 formed on the rear section of the case 1 and on the diaphragm section 3 respectively. Suitable washers 6 and 7 are provided for cushioning the diaphragm and for rendering the joint watertight. In the form shown the diaphragm section 3, the diaphragm 2, and the washers 6, 7 are positioned within a rearwardly extending flange on the front case so that the joint is protected from water. The diaphragm clamps are held by screws 8 and the device is adapted to be secured to a vertical support by a lateral bracket 9 preferably secured to the rear case 1.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the opening 10 which communlcates with the resonator 11 instead of being arranged centrally of the front wall of the diaphragm case is arranged adjacent the lower edge thereof so that the lowermost portion of its periphery coincides with the lowermost portion of the circular cavity between the diaphragm and the diaphragm case. The resonator 10 is secured at the opening in such manner that the surface at the joint affords free flow by gravity from the diaphragm space into the projector and the latter is preferably arranged so that there is continuous down- 6 ward drainage by gravitythe entire dis tance to the mouth of the projector. In the preferred form, the projector has a circular base and is formed with walls diverging vertically more than laterally so that the body portion of the projector is laterally flattened; it preferably terminates in an oval r elliptical bell mouth.

In the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the arrangement is substantially similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and.2 except that the portion of the sound passage adjacent the com-. bined sound and drainage opening through the front wall of the case has a more or less abrupt downward curve 13 interposed between .the case-wall and the projector. This affords .some additional protection in so much as the water will not easily travel up the shar incline into the space in front of the diap ragm and any water which does 25 succeed in reaching this point will have a freer and more abrupt drainage therefrom;

While I have herein fully shown and described, and have pointed out in the appended claims certain novel features of con- .struotion, arrangement and operation which characterize-my invention, it will be understood by those skilled. in the art that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms, proportions, sizes'and details of the device and of its operation, may be made without departing from my invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a

diaphragm and operating mechanism therefor, a tight case on one side of the diaphragm fo protecting the operating mechanism, a diaphragm case secured over the front face ojf said diaphragm and formed so as to affordy'aipassage for thegescape of the sound waves, said opening being located eccentrically of said diaphragmcase near the periphery thereof so as to afford drainage by gravity through the horn opening when r the diaphragm is approximately vertical.

2. In a device of the class described, a diaphragm case formed so as to afford an opening for escape ofthe sound, a horn or projector arranged over said Opening, said opening being arranged adjacent t e periphery of said case, together with means for securing the device with the diaphragm in an approximately vertical position and with said opening located adjacent the lowermost portion of the space between the diaphragm and case.

3. In a device of the class .described, a diaphragm case formed so as to afford an opening forescape of the sound,-a horn or eccentricail'y disposed its-lower edge substantially tangent to the for, a tight case on one side of the diahragm for protecting the operating mechanism, a diaphragm case secured over the front face of said diaphragm and provided with an opening for the escape of the sound waves and means for supporting said device with said diaphragm approximately vertical, the said o ening being so located as to afford drainage by gravity therethrough when said diaphragm is in said vertical position.

' 5. In a device of the class described, a

diaphragm, an operating mechanism therefor, a tight case for protecting the operating mechanism and provided with a clamping member for one side of said diaphragm, a diaphragm clamp for the other side of said diaphragm and having a horn or projector secured thereto for the escape of the sound waves and means for supporting said device with said diaphragm in an approximately vertical position, said horn being located so as to afford drainageby'gravity therethrough when said diaphragm is in said vertical position.

6. In a device of the class described, a diaphragm, a casing therefor, means for supporting said casing with said diaphragm in an approximately vertical position, and a horn mounted on the casing eccentrically of the diaphragm and provided with an offset so that the general axis of the horn is located below the lowest portion of the unclamped portion. of the face of the diaphragm, but extends in an approximately horizontal position.

74A signaling device comprising a hasing, a diaphragm, and a front cap for clamping said diaphragm at the periphery thGIfBQftQ' said casing, said cap having an bell opening having lowerf'edge of said diaphragm, andsaid easing being adapted to receive. means for vibrating said diaphragm.

Signed New York and State of New York this 6th day of June, A. D. 1910. I MILLER REESE HUTCHISON. Witnesses: i J. HARALsoN,

IRVING M. OBRIEGHT.

at New York city in the county of 

